Musings about art, life, spirit and love by an adult adoptee living in reunion.

Monday, April 02, 2012

We Can Do Better

Craig Hickman Announces Another Bid for the State House

WINTHROP — Craig Hickman, organic farmer, small business owner, chef and author, is making another bid to serve the residents of Readfield and Winthrop in the Maine House of Representatives.

“I’m stepping up again because I want to take the work I’m doing in the community to the next level and serve the people in the Legislature,” said Hickman. “When I ran last time, I said I didn't want to sit on the sidelines but I know you don't have to run for the Legislature to do something for your community. However, in order to create lasting change in our communities, we need policy in Augusta that enhances the work we do on the ground.”

Inspired by his father, a Tuskegee Airman who worked first shift in the mailroom at Pabst Brewing Company for 30 years after the war, and his wise mother who held a string of part-time jobs to help put food on the table, he has spent most of his life serving his community and feeding people. He is President of the Rotary Club of the Winthrop Area and Secretary of the Winthrop Hot Meal Kitchen. He has also served on the boards of the Annabessacook Lake Improvement Association, Maranacook Local Foods Buying Club, Theater at Monmouth, and Washburn-Norlands Living History Center.

“We can do better. When 1 in 5 children go to bed hungry every night, we must do better. When the government thinks pink slime is food and pizza is a vegetable, we must do better. When our teachers don’t have the resources to provide a world-class education for our children, we must do better. When parents can't afford to send their kids to college and the ones who graduate are saddled with decades of debt, we must do better. When energy policy intensifies our addiction to fossil fuels while our winters continue to warm and farmer's struggle with drought, we must do better. When the tax code rewards giant corporations and the wealthiest among us at the expense of small farms, small businesses and Maine’s hardest-working families, we must do better. When our representatives tamper with voting laws instead of creating jobs and restoring a strong middle class, I know Maine can do better.”

Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hickman was the first member of his family to graduate from college when he received an honors degree in government from Harvard University. He lives in Winthrop with MaineGeneral Health physical therapist Jop Blom. They own and operate Annabessacook Farm, a bed and breakfast and CSA farm that raises organic produce and hosts the Winthrop Community Gardens, a fresh food bhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifank, and provides free hot meals once a week for people in need. His work feeding people earned him a Spirit of America Foundation Award from the town.

“To be sure, Representative Pat Flood will be a tough act to follow, but if the voters of Readfield and Winthrop give me the chance to try to fill his shoes, I promise I’ll do my best. If you believe we need a lawmaker in Augusta who listens, who stands up for what he believes, who thinks outside the box and offers creative solutions for our toughest challenges, a lawmaker who will serve the people and never be for sale, then it’s time we step up again. I’d be humbled to represent you.”